Description

Welcome to the village of Notwithstanding, where a lady dresses in plus fours and shoots squirrels, a retired general gives up wearing clothes altogether, a spiritualist lives in a cottage with the ghost of her husband, and people think it quite natural to confide in a spider that lives in a potting shed. Based on de Bernieres' recollections of the village he grew up in, Notwithstanding is a funny and moving depiction of a charming vanished England.show more

About Louis de Bernieres

Louis de Bernieres is the best-selling author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin. His most recent novels are Birds Without Wings and A Partisan's Daughter.show more

Review quote

"A funny, astute and moving depiction of a charming vanished England" -- Corrine Buxton BBC Countryfile "A delightful collection...exquisitely told" -- Clare Colvin Daily Mail "Comic, benignly forgiving and shot through with threads of nostalgic regret" Independent "A timely examination of the charming and, at time, heart-wrenchingly sad aspects of English village life...testament to the rude health of the author's own imagination" -- Adam O'Riordan Financial Times "The creator of Captain Corelli is fond of an exotic setting and he has found one in his own backyard... The stories are sketches of lives that settle into the atmosphere of a place and make it unique" -- Kate Saunders The Timesshow more

Review Text

Customer reviews

There are a few villages in darkest Devon that still have characters similar to those in this book. When we came to this parish in 1964 we found ourselves living in the remnants of an archetypal feudal system.
Notwithstanding, with all the characters represented in the book depicts the daily life and activities of a small rural community, the gentle fun and pathos together with parochial gossip with great accuracy.
An excellent little book for those indigenous rural dwellers of all ages who still live in such communities.show more